“During this visit it became clear to me that the visa issue is something that is always on the mind of the Surinamese people,” said King Willem-Alexander who added that the issue was repeated several times in parliament. “It is one of the problems that the Surinamese people who would like to travel to the Netherlands are faced with.” The Dutch king mentioned two types of visa problems namely the emergency visa for short periods and the regular visa for family visits. Especially the latter could be addressed structurally via Brussels. “Suriname can file a request af the European Commission for visa liberation so that Surinamese nationals could travel to Europe without a visa. Suriname must do that on its own,” said King Willem-Alexander who added that Dutch government has repeatedly indicated that it is willing to fully support Suriname’s request. “We are willing to support Suriname in Brussels. Other countries in South America already travel without a visa to Europe so it must be solved.” There are also other problems that Surinamese nationals complained about such as long waiting times, poor communication in the visa process and the lack of facilities.

“We have come to understand that people often have to wait long, that there are no toilets and that there are various other problems. Solutions are being sought,” said the Dutch king who added that “it is crucial for applicants to get a good treatment and that they are given clear information about the required documents.” Meanwhile the visa policy issue will remain on the bilateral agenda. In the next couple of months it will become clear if Suriname will take the big step towards Brussels to open the door for its citizens to travel visa-free to Europe.